Roughing it! #58

There is absolutely nothing like getting away from the daily grind and spending some time clearing the mind so you can recharge your batteries and move on to what the next day brings. In order to do that, some curl up and read a good book and some travel and take in the sites. And then there are those of us who are “hard core.” Now, when I say that, I mean there is a group out there that really enjoys taking time off to new heights. Camping or tenting in a place with hot and cold running water and facilities is great, but there is also the beauty and serenity of tenting out next to a secluded pond or lake and as I call it “ Roughing it.”

So, when TC and I decided that we wanted to do some late evening, early morning fishing, and not wanting to drive back and forth, we made a decision to tent out. Now, TC took charge of the planning and preparation and I was charged with loading and driving. If you know me, you can understand why I was not part of the preparation. See, TC tells me that I always pack more than I need, and to some extent, that is true and I am guilty as charged. My defense is that I just don’t want to be caught short. But given the space requirements on a vehicle, this was a very good move. I just don’t need six pairs of sox for an overnight, and so on.

We decided that we would stay at the Peaked Mountain Pond campsite in the North Maine Woods. We have found that they do an awesome job of keeping their sites clean and mowed. The packing was completed and the truck was loaded, and at noon on Saturday, we departed for our destination. We had not stayed overnight in a tent in the North Maine Woods before, but we were really looking forward to it. As we passed through the six mile checkpoint and paid our camping fee of a whopping $10.00 each, we had to laugh when Ed, at the gate, commented that he had finally been able to drag some cash out of TC and I. See, we purchase our annual gate pass each year which entitles us to unlimited access to the woods, and not have to pay each time we go through the gate.  Once on the road again, we made our way up the dirt road to our final destination. When we arrived, and although the pond looked great, we decided to set up our tent first which we did. We looked at the camp sites there and settled on one nestled in the woods next to the pond. The site had a picnic table and a fire pit ring which we knew we would use later on. So, now, the tent was up and we made a command decision to eat first and then hit the pond and stay there until dark. Once again, that TC planning came through with flying colors as she had already prepared the meal, which only required us to reheat it on the Coleman stove.  There is just something about food cooked in the outdoors that tastes better than if we were dining in. During preparation, we had some company join us. The bugs were out and hovering looking for their meal. I quickly started a little fire in the pit and voilà, the bugs were gone. When we finished and had cleaned up the campsite, we made our way onto the pond. July can be a tough time to fish with the trout heading to the deep holes where the water is much cooler. We did, however catch a few and quickly put them back. Before we knew it, the evening was passing and the light was fading and we made our way to shore. As we settled down for the night, the quiet was just what the doctor had ordered. The only thing we heard was the loon on the pond and the water gently hitting the shore. It was not long before TC and I were fast asleep. Now, at one point during the night, I woke up, and when I did, I could hear the sound of something walking around our campsite. I listened as it got closer to our tent where it came to a stop. That was the last thing I heard before I woke with the sun coming up. As I rose, I could hear our friend, the loon greeting us with his call. I climbed out of the tent, with TC still fast asleep and fired up the Coleman and the coffee pot. I looked at the pond which was just like a mirror. Shortly, TC rose and we ate our breakfast. We both commented on how rested we felt and what a good night’s sleep we had. Before we headed out to fish, we decided to break camp and fold up our tent. Once we cleaned up the campsite, we got in the canoe and paddled out to the spot where we had caught some fish the night before. As I was paddling out, I thought about how it would be nice if we could see a loon either take off or land. If you have not seen this before, you are in for a real treat. They are nothing like a normal bird. Well, once we came to the spot where we wanted to fish, I dropped the anchor and away we went. It wasn’t long before I heard this big commotion and looked down the pond to where I saw a loon taking off. That loon did exactly what I wanted it to do. It got up in the air, traveled the length of the pond, made a circle and went back down the pond at a very low altitude. All of a sudden it dropped down to the water. Now, when it came in for a landing, it looked just like a big old sea plane. It landed belly first and skidded to a stop. My wishes had been answered. I had seen the loon attempt to take off and land. It wasn’t long after that when I again heard some commotion and looked down the pond and that loon was at it again. This time, I was ready, I pulled out my trusty camera and got the whole episode on video. That bird took off at a very low altitude, flew past our canoe, made that circle again and headed back down the pond and then dropped in the water again like a seaplane. For those of you that don’t know or have not seen a loon take flight, it takes them a long time to get up in the air. Often times, they make several trips up and down the pond, each time gaining a little altitude until they are up in the air and off. In this case, I think the loon read my mind, and although it had no intentions of leaving, he just wanted to give me a thrill, and grant my wish.

Eventually, we decided that it was time to leave and we came to shore and packed up. The trip had been a success and our batteries were well charged. We decided that we would do it again soon and that we would explore other places to camp. Just for a day, we were free of TV, cell phones and the daily stresses of life.  It was for us a moment to cherish and to thank the landowners for sharing their little piece of the world with us. We are already planning our next trip. Can anyone say “Churchill Dam.”

Plight of the Pinkham Road Fishermen #57

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Where did the time go”? Or “Wow, the year went by so fast!” I would wager that you have more than once. Well, that is exactly what I said when it was once again time to have the yearly get together of the group known as the “Pinkham Rd fishermen”. Why are they called the “Pinkham Rd fishermen, you ask? Pinkham Rd is where the camp is that we stay at and where we gather to fish, hence the name. I expect you could say that the name is very scientific on my part.

Every year, a group of us get together to hash over old times, and make new memories so we have something to talk about when we get together the next year. This year, we had folks from a few different states as well as from Maine. There was Mark who not only owns the camp we stay at, but also knows the North Maine Woods like the back of his hand. Then, there was Jeff from Pennsylvania who has fished all over the United States, but had never fished on a pond until last year when he joined us. Oh, and he was rewarded with his first pond fishing experience by snapping the tip of his Winston Rod off in the trees. Ryan was new to our group this year, but very much up to the test when it came to fitting in. Roger joined us again with his tall tales and adventures. We continue to encourage him to write a book on his endeavors and he says he might when he retires. I predict it will be a “Pinkham Road best seller” when it comes out, full of stories about Roger and every aspect of his life. The key is that each year he joins us, he has a new chapter to tell us about. I think he is currently up to chapter 14 as of this year. Then there was Matt. Matt was a Maine boy who grew up here and went to UMaine where he graduated. Eventually, he found the love of his life and they now live in Minnesota. Matt is an avid outdoors person who is quickly being voted the most likely to sleep in a tent while at the camp. See, he often raises the roof on the camp at night while sleeping. He disputes that claim each morning when he wakes up as he is removing his headphones full of music he listened to all night long. I think he is the only one there that really looks rested each morning when he wakes up, if you get my drift. Not to be forgotten is Jon. Now Jon is the quiet one who this year was charged with picking both Matt and Jeff up at the airport and driving them up to the camp. His patience is outstanding because it feels like Matt makes him stop at a lot of places on his way to Presque Isle from Portland. This year, they arrived with a sandwich that they each bought at Matt’s favorite sandwich shop in Bangor. I believe that was stop number four on their ride up.  Jon is also known as the photographer of the group. Each year, he brings his camera and takes a number of great photos which serves as a reminder of what we have done. Last year, Jon did a great job of capturing all the adventures, and we were all looking forward to getting his email filled with photos. Last year, I recall catching some nice trout on Peaked Mountain Pond and Jon, who was in my canoe at the time, was taking photos of them. As we got to the landing, I laid out the fish we kept on the picnic table and asked him to take one more photo. You could see him checking his pockets and his face becoming more and more concerned. Eventually, he let us have the bad news. All of the photos he had taken of the event were lost along with the camera. There was no question that the camera had been lost on the pond before we came in to the landing. At that moment, we swallowed hard, all knowing that the memories of our trip were down under, in the deep blue water.

Each year, I am responsible for getting the food and sending out emails a couple of months in advance to get the “party started”.  Those emails inevitably get the comments started and the challenge going between us all. Now, I still think that I hold the upper hand, because having fished these waters quite a bit, I know what the trout are taking and have those flies tied up and ready to go. And each year, I end up sharing those flies so they can have a good time. The result was that we fished a few ponds and caught a lot of trout. Each time, we would put the fish back, keeping none during our trip.

During one of our trips into a pond, I had one of those life altering things happen to me where I just wanted to sink to the floor of the truck and not come up for a while.  I was fortunate, or unfortunate, however you chose to look at it, to have Matt and Jeff in the truck with me as we were driving into this pond. As we got closer, we came upon a Maine Warden truck parked off on the side of the road. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the warden just off the road in the trees watching some fishermen on the pond with his binoculars. As we were passing, Matt yelled out with a very loud voice, “Warden Service”. Jeff and I sunk in the seat and I said what the (blank) did you do that for? His response was, “They do it on North Woods Law”. Anyway, we continued on to the campsite, which was a short ways away, and there was a truck parked in the yard. As we got out of the truck, I looked back down the road and here he came. The face he was making was unmistakable and I knew we were not in a good place. As he got closer to us, he asked who yelled. Matt, stepped right up and said I did and I am sorry. He continued on by saying that he had been watching those guys on the pond and that they were using worms and Matt may have just messed up his day. He left us and walked down the path to get the fishermen. At that point, Matt looked at me and said,” We should leave right now.” My response was, no, you made your bed, now you are going to lay in it. Soon, the warden came back up the path, now with another warden, and accompanying him were the four fishermen. We kept our space as the wardens dealt with them. At some point, the warden came back to Matt and apologized for the way he had handled himself which I thought was quite professional. After the wardens were done with the fishermen, we talked for a minute and they were off. Interestingly enough, the fishermen did not go back to the pond choosing to pack up and leave. That meant that we had it all to ourselves, which was fine with me. I do expect that next year this will be a focal point of our discussions when we assemble again. Maybe we can have the first annual warden calling contest. Nah, I think not.

The sad thing about these gatherings is that they seem to end as quickly as they start and our four days seemed to end way too fast. Sunday morning came and we packed up and left the Pinkham Rd camp for Presque Isle. Once we arrived in Presque Isle, we said our goodbyes and talked about how we could not wait until next year. If the quick passage of time is any indication of how soon next year will come, I had better start planning right now. Can anyone say “Warden Service”? Oh, and by the way, things can happen year after year, because Jeff did indeed snap the tip on his Winston rod again. I expect that he and Winston will now be on a first name basis and they will want to know when he makes his trip to Maine so they can have techs on standby.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions #56

We have to make decisions each and every day. Some decisions are minor and some require more thought and additional time. Many can be life altering and some are just simple and easy to decide.

Then there is a fisherman’s day where there are a number of very important decisions you have to make. Many will set the stage for how successful you will be that day. Let’s take a look at a few of them. First, there is the big one. Where are we going to go fishing? That decision requires some thought and a great deal of luck. Your decision will undoubtedly determine how successful you will be. Then, once that decision is made, you have to determine what rod to bring, what clothing you pack and what you are going to bring to eat. And it is always a good idea to keep your survival kit handy for those unexpected emergencies. Oh, and what canoe will you need. Some ponds are made for shorter canoes and some require longer ones. So it is important about deciding on the place you are going because then the canoe decision will fall in line. Now, there are times when the best laid plans have a glitch in them. That requires swift thinking and action to plug any holes that may occur, no pun intended.

Take for example our most recent trip. TC and I made a decision that we were going to drive to one of our favorite ponds this past Saturday morning. We got up, saw the weather report but decided to go anyway. We drove two hours to the pond, only to find that we were not the first people there. No, indeed, there were two vehicles parked at the camp site where you put your canoe in. Now, this is always challenging in that you have a decision to make about do we stay, or do we find somewhere else to fish? Often times, people don’t take kindly to you fishing on the pond if they got there first. However, seeing that the pond had plenty of room, we decided to unpack and give it a whirl. I did walk down to the campsite before we took our canoe off and the sports were tying on a line. I tried to make conversation, but there was little return on their end. We let them get on the water and then we unloaded the canoe, put our things in it and shoved off. As we were unpacking, I noticed that I had made my first mistake. I had brought the wrong pole for TC. I had intended to bring her Winston rod, which she had requested, but instead, I had brought the new IM-12 graphite rod we had bought at the sportsman’s show from T&T Company. No problem, it was going to be a good day to try it out so off we went. We could see the other two boats on the pond and there seemed to be very little action on their part. I had tied my special fly on my line and TC was using a green drake. It wasn’t long before I had a nice fish that grabbed the fly and gave me quite a fight. Eventually, I landed him and we made the decision that we would keep it. TC was not doing so well, so she tied on a variant of the fly I was using. The body was yellow and not green like mine. It was at that time that the fun began. TC hooked a few fish that we decided to put back, but the thing that caught my eye was that she was throwing her line out farther than she had ever done before, and with ease. The pole she was using was really working well for her and it was nice to see her shoot her line well beyond where she had never gone before. I know, it sounds a little like Star Trek.  At about 12:30, we decided to take a break and paddle to shore where we could have a bite. The group on the water followed us in and pulled out their food to eat. Again, I tried to make conversation, but there was little there, so I did ask how they had done and they said they had caught a couple. They never returned to the water, instead choosing to leave. We, on the other hand got back in the canoe and went out for round two. During the afternoon, we were treated to times when the fish would put on a show. They would jump and then the winds would come and they would stop. After the winds died down, they would jump again. TC just kept catching fish. In total, I netted nine of hers and she netted 5 of mine. We also never changed flies again. The ones we tied on worked very well once they dropped below the water. Around four PM, we saw some dark clouds moving in and the wind came up so we decided to call it a day. We came off the water with three nice trout and a very good day of fishing. Looking back on our day, I reflected on the decisions we had made. The pond was the right choice. The canoe was the right choice given the wind and the flies were the right choice. Even when I messed up the rod for TC, it was the right choice. Your decisions don’t always come out right, but this day they did. Now, it is time to start thinking about where we go next weekend. The cycle starts over and hopefully the choices we make will be as good as this trip. Time will tell.

TC and I enrolled in a program that will help the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist keep track of our fish population. Once we enrolled, they sent us a booklet and asked us to keep track of where we fished, how many fish we caught each trip and the species as well as any markings on them. At the end of the season, they will collect the data. We feel it is important to help them in any way we can.

Also, I got a photo from some friends who were on a fishing excursion of their own. I added that photo to this blog. Good job Dale!

And Away We Go!  #55

  

I recall last November when I put the gun in the case and the hunting clothes away, being saddened because I knew winter was coming and my fishing and hunting seasons had come to a close for 2013.  I held on to the notion that it would soon come again and I would be back out there doing what I loved. Winter hung on and it seemed that I would never be able to get my fly rods out and get back into the North Maine Woods. But I knew that the time would come and eventually, the snow would go and the woods would be calling me again.

Finally, May came and on the 17^th, I was able to load the truck up and head to the woods. I was a bit concerned about what I would find and what if any snow would be left, but I ventured in anyway. As I entered the woods, I came to the six mile checkpoint for the first time in 2014. I was pleased to see Ed manning the checkpoint and my first order of business was to get TC and my season passes. Once that was completed, I was off. I told Ed that I was going to try to find a nice stream and that all I wanted was a chance to float my fly. I didn’t really care if I caught a fish or not. Once I left the gate, I decided that I would make my way to the Mooselook stream area where it intersected with the Pinkham Rd. I had enjoyed the rips there by the bridge on numerous occasions and that seemed like a good place to start. Once I was there, I parked along the road and immediately, noticed that the water level was not that bad. I put my neoprene waders on, added my fishing vest and off I went. I found my way down the hill and into the fast moving water. I had made a decision that today I was going to use my Grey’s 3 weight 7 foot rod. If you have never caught a fish on a 3 weight, you are really missing something. My friend Matt turned me on to this and it is really fun. After a while, I decided that I would continue down the road and try another area. I decided that my next stop would be Smith Brook. When I arrived, I noticed that there was plenty of water to wade in and again, I put myself together and into the brook I went. This time, I brought my camera and made a little video of the peacefulness and serenity that surrounds you while you are fishing. After playing with some fish, I decided to continue on and this time I chose to head over to the Mooselook Dam area. I had a lot of great memories of that area because both TC and my youngest son had fished there in the past and both had had good luck.

When I got there, the water looked good and was not too high. I got my 3 weight prepped and into the rapids I waded.  It wasn’t long before I got a tug on my line and as I looked toward my fly, I noticed that a nice fish had rolled over it. I watched as the fin came all the way out of the water. When I saw it, I said to myself, wow that is a nice trout. I pulled the line up and cast it back to where that fish rose in the rips. As the fly hit the water, the fish jumped all over it. With that 3 weight in my hand, I got what I had wished for, a good fight. The trout would come close, and then would find the strength to pull that line off into the rips again. We did that three or four times and I finally noticed that it had had enough. I pulled my net off my back and scooped the fish up. It was a beauty. I had made a decision while on my way in, that all fish today would get put back and that is what I did. I gave it a glance and put it back making sure that I gently moved it back and forth in the water. As quickly as it came in, it was gone. I continued fishing for about an hour and during that time, I caught four more nice trout. Each time, being careful to land them so I could put them right back, unharmed. After catching the fifth one, it began to rain and it poured. I decided that it was time to go and that the day had been a complete success. When I left home, I had decided that I did not care if I caught any fish, I just wanted to get into the woods. The fact that I caught five nice trout, was a bonus and the highlight of my day. As I drove out and came to the checkpoint, Ed greeted me and I handed him my day pass slip. I told him about my adventure and the fish I caught and then I headed home. It was a great start to the 2014 fishing season, one that I had not dreamed of, but I would take it. I had waited a long time and it was worth the wait. Now, I have the whole summer and fall in front of me. Let’s see, how I can top this ?

While I was traveling, I saw three rabbits, two that were still in the process of changing color from white to brown, and two road runners. One of the road runners pictures is posted below. The fact that I saw them is a real good sign for the fall.

Winter seems to be dragging on #54

Has anybody other than me noticed that winter seems to be hanging around longer than normal this year? Have you wondered if we are going to skip spring this year and go right back into winter? I know, that is an awful thought and certainly spring is around the corner somewhere. However, someone forgot to tell that to Mother Nature, because the snow is still piled up in the woods and the ice is not yet out of the ponds and lakes. Last year at this time, I had already wet a line and as I recall had caught a few nice fish. This year it will be some time before that will happen. Realistically, I see it two ways. The first is that we continue to have cold off and on, with occasional snow squalls that hamper the reduction of snow and the season will be on hold. Or we can, and this is my vote, have a real warm-up that takes the snow away and dries the woods roads so we can get to where we need to be, on a pond with that fly out there just waiting for a nice brook trout to check it out.

Now, a sure sign of spring is the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club’s annual sportsman’s show held here in Presque Isle. You can usually count on that when it occurs, we should be close to fishing. This year’s show was held on April 5 and 6 and was very well attended by both vendors and interested sportsman. Once again the club did a fantastic job of preparing for it and the number and variety of vendors was excellent. One vendor did catch my eye and I spent a lot of time at their booth. Terry and his wife from T & T Company in Manchester, Maine had a wide variety of fly fishing gear including the IM-12 graphite rods. When I first saw them that Saturday, I looked at the construction and was quite impressed. Terry even put a reel on one and let my brother in laws try them outside in the parking lot. The result was a rod that cast the line extremely easy. They were able to shoot the fly line a long way and with a lot of ease. They were so impressed that Gary almost bought one right then and there. I did not really need another rod so I just took it all in and kept my eye on my other brother in law, Paul. Now, Paul is a studier.  He never buys anything until he has had sufficient time to think it through and do his research. So it was no surprise when he said he wanted to go home and work his questions out on the internet. Well, Saturday ended and by the end of the day Gary had decided that he really needed that rod, so he called Terry and made arrangements to pick it up the next day. TC and I kicked it around and decided that although we really did not need another rod, if we could get it for the right price we might buy one. Sunday came and we all went back to the show and Gary got his rod. I kept looking at them and finally Terry and I agreed on a price and TC and I bought one. I handed it to TC and paid Terry and that is when I found out that maybe that rod was not mine after all. TC had such a tight grip on it that there was no way I was getting it back. To make a long story short, that week, TC was in the yard with the rod, her reel and line attached casting it into the snowbank. As I watched, she was doing a nice job of getting her line out there and at the end, she was very happy with it and how the rod worked. I think I may have lost the battle of ownership that day. As for Paul, he continues to research it although he tells me he will be getting one. All in all, another great show and my hat is off to the club for an excellent job.

I would also like to mention that if you read my last column on the upcoming bear referendum, it is very worthwhile mentioning that the State of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has once again shown that they are very capable of managing the animal population through their research and the decisions they make. They have just announced that the open season in Aroostook County on turkeys has been cancelled this year due to the winter weather and the effect it had on the birds. In doing so, they sent a clear message that they have the tools and ability to determine what is best for our animal population and will take necessary steps to maintain that population when they see the need.

I’d also like to thank all of you who wrote me about the little video I added in my last column. Credit goes to Patty and Gary Browning for sending that to TC and me. I can’t tell you how many times we have watched it and judging by some of the emails you sent me, it got a lot of playing time. Hopefully when I write my next column, we will be in the woods and the fish will be rising just like in the video. We can only hope!

Here We Go Again!  Blog #53

As I write this blog, it is snowing with a good chance that the weather is going to change to an icy mix. Most of the snow we have received has come over the last month and a half and now we have so much that it will take some time before it is all gone. If you were thinking that you were going to visit my web site and read some stories about TC and our fishing adventures, unfortunately, that is not the case. At this point we have far too much snow and the ice is so thick that it will be May before we can get into the woods. Unfortunately, it does not only affect TC and my fishing plans, but there is a real concern for the deer and moose. In speaking with the wardens, they tell me that the deer and moose have depleted their fat reserves and due to the amount of snow, they are not able to find food. This time of year, the snow should be down and they should be feeding. Not the case this year. I am told that this last snow fall will, potentially do a lot more damage to the population than the big snow we had a few years back, and that is very sad.

I also had a chance to talk with a Maine game warden about the upcoming bear referendum. As you may or may not know, a group intent on stopping our right to hunt bear has collected enough signatures to put a question on the ballot to stop baiting, hounding and trapping black bear. If you say we already voted this down a couple of years ago, why is it back? That is because they did not take no for an answer. They are willing to roll the dice again and try to get this through. With great certainty, if this passes, they will come back again with another attempt to stop some other form of hunting, and who knows, maybe they will attack fishing as well.  I have seen a number of ads they will be running and they will attempt to play on your sympathy in order to get your vote. Don’t be fooled. These people are not from Maine and the money they are using to bankroll this effort is from out of state groups.  I ask you, who has more information to determine what and how we should be doing things in our woods, our Maine biologists or folks who have never hunted or fished?  Let’s tell these folks once and for all that we don’t need them telling us what is best for Mainers. Let’s send them a message that we want to decide for ourselves how to control our animal population. Make sure when it is time to vote, that you vote to uphold our right to hunt and fish. If we don’t continue to maintain our right to hunt and fish, nuisance beer complaints will become a daily routine for our Inland fisheries and wildlife wardens. Let’s let the folks in our state determine the best way to control the population and not an out of state group.

Here are a few facts about our bear:

·      Since 2004, Maine’s bear population has increased and is estimated at more than 30,000 animals.

·      Hunting is the primary means of managing this thriving bear population.

·      Hunters who use still hunting or stalking techniques to harvest bears have less than a 3% success rate due to Maine’s dense forests.

·      On average, only 26% of hunters using bait and hounds and 20% using traps actually harvest a black bear.

·      Left unchecked, the bear population will increase and bear will eventually move into areas with higher human densities and conflicts will rise.

I thought you might enjoy this short video of some brown trout feeding. This video was taken by a fisherman in New Zealand. It is unbelievable and very peaceful. THINK SPRING!  Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/85147880

Bear facts taken from: Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Hunting and trapping laws, 2013-2014

Lots of Languages being spoken  #52

If you read my blogs on a regular basis, you might think that we have two seasons here in Northern Maine, fishing and hunting. Well that might be the case to most outdoor enthusiasts, but that is not really accurate. See, not only do I spend time in my little room downstairs winding thread around feathers, hair and wire during the winter months, but TC and I spend time on our cross country skis at the local cross country venue. Now, when I say cross country venue, I really mean our world class cross country venue. See, a number of years ago, a vision of constructing a facility that would allow for the training of athletes who ski was born. Through the generous funding of the Libra Foundation to the Maine Winter Sports Center, the seed money was obtained and construction started on the first facility in Fort Kent, Maine. That was called 10^th mountain after the 10th mountain army division who was known for their cross country skiing. Then a couple of years later, the second facility, Nordic Heritage Sports Center was built and the result was, and still is, two world class skiing facilities in Northern Maine. So, now is the saying “If you build it, they will come” really true?  I am here to tell you that it is. Since both facilities were built, Fort Kent has held two world cup biathlon races and Presque Isle has held one Jr world cup biathlon race and one world cup race. That is no small feat. Those races are sanctioned by the IBU (International Biathlon Union) in Europe. If you have ever been to Europe during the winter, you know that biathlon is a big sport there. Now, what is biathlon you might ask? It is a sport where an athlete carries a 22 rifle on their back while skiing around a measured course. They ski the designated course and then come into a shooting range where they shoot five shots at a metal target fifty meters down range. They do it from a prone position and then they do it from a standing position. The particular contest they are in that day determines if they shoot one or two times from each. Then if they miss any targets, they must do the commensurate number of laps in what is called the penalty loop before they can ski back out on course. So, every shot missed costs them valuable time overall in their final time. One other thing to mention, the targets have something on them called apertures which change the size of the targets the athletes shoot on. The target is larger for the standing shooting and smaller for the prone shooting. Oh, one other thing. Have you ever run several miles? What did you feel like after you got done? Possibly a little winded? Try doing that, and then picking up a rifle and shooting at a little target. Not so easy is it? Every biathlete has to learn to control their breathing when they come into the range. That in itself is an art and a science.

So, here we are on February 14, 2014. And in less than 15 days, Presque Isle will again be hosting a world class event. The IBU World Junior Biathlon will be hosted by the Nordic Heritage Center beginning on February 26.  At this point, there are projected to be over thirty countries in this little community to take part in the event. As I write this, Australia, Russia and Austria are here already. TC and I will again be taking part in volunteering to help the local club make this a successful undertaking. If you have never seen Biathlon, I encourage you to come out and support the athletes and our community. The pace will be fast and furious, but remember, each country is here to win and take home the top prizes. It is going to be a fun time for all of us.

If you would like more information about the event, you can find it on the Nordic Heritage Center website at:  www.nordicheritagecenter.org